Election controversy retires

Monday

Sep 1, 2003 at 12:53 AM

The Florida Elections Commission, an appointed panel set up to levy fines and weigh election law violations, last month quietly ended a controversy left over from the 2002 governor's race.
The dispute stemmed from a Republican Party mailing sent out last October that freely used the logo of AARP, the organization that represents 2.6 million senior citizens in the state of Florida.
The mailer includes a photo of Bush, who is sporting an AARP button. Bush is standing behind a lectern that says AARP and in front of a large banner that also says AARP. The mailer says: "Florida's seniors need Jeb Bush and Republicans fighting for them."
At the time the mailer went out, AARP issued a strongly worded press release reminding everyone that the group is not allowed to endorse candidates and that it had not endorsed Bush.
A Fort Pierce Republican who received the mailer filed an election complaint against the party, saying that the campaign literature made it look like that Bush had been endorsed by the group. State law prohibits candidates from saying someone has endorsed them without the group's permission.
The subsequent investigation by the elections commission showed that Karen Unger, the campaign manager for Bush's re-election campaign, had asked AARP officials about using the photo of the governor ahead of time. AARP officials said they consented because the photo had appeared in several newspapers around the state and was in "the public domain."
But in May, the commission voted that enough evidence existed to show that the party had violated a different election law that requires party-sponsored mailers to clearly state that the candidate had not approved the advertisement ahead of time.
That prompted party officials to work out a consent order this past summer with the commission. The party paid a $200 fine but officially admitted no wrongdoing.
Geoffrey Becker, executive director of the Republican Party of Florida, admitted he was frustrated that what started as an investigation into one type of violation resulted in charges that the party had violated a different section of law.
"If you get one foot in the door, you get to look at the whole house," Becker said.
BUSH, GALLAGHER SPAR OVER APPOINTMENT
Gov. Jeb Bush and Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher had a very public disagreement last week over who should become the next member of the Florida Parole Commission, the three-member panel that decides whether to allow inmates to leave prison.
The governor and Cabinet vote on which person should become a commissioner, which is a full-time job that pays more than $85,000 a year. A selection committee offered up three finalists for the position, which was vacated when Commissioner Jimmie Henry abruptly resigned. Henry was arrested last week on charges of grand theft and falsifying expense reports.
Gallagher wanted to pick Robert Woody, a native of Gainesville who is currently director of community affairs for the Department of Corrections. Woody, 50, has a master's degree in criminal justice and has worked as a probation supervisor for the state's prison system as well as with numerous civic groups in the Gainesville area.
Gallagher said that Woody had outstanding qualifications, but he added that he wanted to make sure that at least one member of the Parole Commission was black because a majority of the male prison population is black.
"We would be lacking for the first time in many, many years African-American representation on the Parole Commission, and that, I think, would be a mistake," said Gallagher, who is expected to run for governor in 2006.
Bush, however, wanted Tena Pate. Pate, 45, has served as a victims right coordinator since 1993 and has advised three governors on clemency cases. Bush told Gallagher that it was just as important to have someone who understood the plight of crime victims to serve on the Parole Commission.
The vote last Tuesday was a 2-2 split. Bush and Attorney General Charlie Crist supported Pate, while Gallagher and Agriculture Commissioner Charles Bronson backed Woody. Under Florida law, however, the governor's vote prevails in case of a tie.
Bush defended the selection afterwards to reporters, pointing out his record in appointing minorities to other positions in state government.
"I don't think you need to have an African-American parole commissioner to be able to be sensitive to the needs of people that are seeking some redress from the state," said Bush.
Compiled from reports by Gary Fineout and Lloyd Dunkelberger of the Tallahassee Bureau.
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VETERANS...................................2B
NEIGHBORS................................3B
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OCALA
Orchestra auditioning
for 2003-2004 season
The Central Florida Philharmonic Orchestra has announced its auditions for the 2003-2004 season for the following instruments: all strings, trumpet and trombone.
The auditions will be held beginning at 1 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 21, at West Port High School, according to a news release from Beth McCall, executive director of the Public Education Foundation of Marion County.
The orchestra is under the direction of Susan Bailey Robinson. For information or to schedule an audition, call (352) 873-4347.
ASTOR
Live ordnance testing
set to go off this week
The U.S. Navy has announced its training schedule for the next few days using live ordnance at the Pinecastle Bombing Range.
The live ordnance will be used on Tuesday from 10:20 a.m. to 11:40 a.m. and on Wednesday from 10:40 a.m. to 11:40 a.m. The number to call if you have noise complaints is (800) 874-5059, according to a Navy press release.
For information, call Bill Dougherty at (904) 542-3846.
OCALA
Reform Party schedules
September 14 meeting
The Marion County Reform Party has set a meeting for 1 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 14, at Green Clover Hall, 601 S.E. 25th Ave.
The guest speaker will be Tony Hernandez, chairman of the Reform Party in Florida, according to a party news release. All concerned citizens are welcome.
For information, call (352) 687-4807.
OCALA
1st deck
2nd deck
The Marion County Reform Party has set a meeting for 1 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 14, at Green Clover Hall, 601 S.E. 25th Ave.
The guest speaker will be Tony Hernandez, chairman of the Reform Party in Florida, according to a party news release. All concerned citizens are welcome.
For information, call (352) 687-4807.
Daybook
Briefs
HOLIDAY PICNIC. The South Marion Democrats Club will host its annual nonpartisan Free Labor Day Picnic from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. today at the Kiwanis Beach resort, off County Road 25 at 155th Street, on Lake Weir. The picnic will feature free food, games for young adults, refreshments, entertainment. There will also be face painting and balloon art provided by the Spruce Creek Clown Club. It is free and open to the public. Guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs, because outside seating is limited. There will seating inside, in the air-conditioning.
SOMETHING TO CHEER ABOUT
Instructor motivates teens to be champions 3B